Chicagoland Library Wins $10,000 in Books from JetBlue Airways and Random House Children's Books Through Soar with Reading Program

NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU) and Random House Children's Books granted the Dundee Township Public Library in East Dundee, Illinois $10,000 in books through its Soar with Reading program nationwide contest in which readers nominated their local libraries. Those that nominated a library were also entered to win a family vacation to the amazing Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in Nassau Bahamas from JetBlue Getaways. More than 115,000 entries were received through the sweepstakes portion of the program, representing libraries in all 50 states.

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"A terrific ending to a busy summer!" said Icema Gibbs, director of Corporate Social Responsibility at JetBlue. "We are thankful for all the work done with our partners, PBS KIDS and Random House Children's Books, as we visited dozens of public schools and libraries around the country and hosted six official Soar with Reading events over the summer in support of this campaign. Thousands of kids benefited from this and hopefully it will inspire all of them to continue reading even when school is not in session and to let their imaginations soar!"

"We are thrilled to accept the generous sweepstakes prize from JetBlue Airways and their partners PBS KIDS and Random House Books. These books will go a long way in delighting our youngest patrons," said Roxane Bennett, library director. "We are very proud to be associated with an organization that puts a high value on books, and then acts on those values through an extensive initiative to encourage children to read. Reading can open up the world to a child, much like an airplane can. Children are much more likely to soar when presented with the opportunity and tools to so."

The library donation initiative is a part of Soar with Reading, a joint project launched this summer by JetBlue and PBS KIDS. Soar with Reading aims to keep children reading throughout the summer, harnessing a combination of in-flight and online literacy resources, community reading events and a partnership with First Book, a nonprofit organization that provides new books to children in need. For every reader who registered on SoarwithReading.com this summer, JetBlue made a book donation to a child through First Book, totaling 10,000 books.

Through the sweepstakes portion of the program, more than 115,000 entries were received representing libraries in all 50 states. Dundee Township Public Library in East Dundee, Illinois won $10,000 in books, a second library received $2,500 in books and five additional libraries received $500 in books, courtesy of JetBlue and Random House Children's Books.

About First Book

First Book has distributed more than 80 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada.  By making new, high-quality books available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education. For more information, please visit www.firstbook.org or follow First Book on Facebook and Twitter.

About PBS KIDS

PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for children, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and community-based programs.  Each quarter, more than 27 million viewers watch PBS KIDS on TV, and PBSKIDS.org, the number one kids' entertainment site for free video streaming, attracts more than 10 million unique visitors per month (Nielsen, NTI Q42010; comScore Video Metrix; Google Analytics). For more information on specific PBS KIDS programs supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit PBS.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.

About JetBlue Corporate Social Responsibility

JetBlue is committed to the cities it serves through support and alignment with not-for-profit organizations that focus on children, education, communities and the environment. Through a variety of programs and activities, JetBlue crewmembers are encouraged to help make an impact and inspire greatness in others while enriching the lives of individuals and communities across the airline's network. Through JetBlue's Community Connection Volunteer Program and other Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, JetBlue partners with a variety of philanthropic and community-focused organizations, including KaBOOM!, DoSomething.org, The American Cancer Society and their Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walks; First Book, a not-for-profit organization with the mission to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books; and PBS KIDS, where JetBlue partnered to create Soar with Reading – Let Your Imagination Take Flight, a literacy campaign to help raise readers. In addition, JetBlue has created a platform called Jetting to Green which encourages environmentally-friendly practices through education and volunteerism.

About JetBlue Airways

JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline(TM) with other focus cities in Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, and Orlando. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline as well as super-spacious Even More Space seats. JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 66 cities with 650 daily flights and later this year plans to introduce service to St. Croix and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands as well as La Romana, Dominican Republic and Liberia, Costa Rica. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JET-BLUE (1-800-538-2583), TTY/TDD 1-800-336-5530, or visit www.jetblue.com.

About Random House Children's Books

Random House Children's Books is the world's largest English-language children's trade book publisher. Creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats from board books to activity books to picture books, novels, ebooks, and apps, the imprints of Random House Children's Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series. The company's website, Kids @ Random (www.randomhouse.com/kids) offers an array of activities, games, and resources for children, teens, parents, and educators. Random House Children's Books is a division of Random House, Inc., whose parent company is Bertelsmann AG, a leading international media company.

SOURCE JetBlue Airways